Conscious Connected Breathwork in Sussex & Hampshire

Why We Went Deeper Into Breathwork (And Why It Matters to You)

If you've read our newsletter, been to a class or spoken to us recently, you'll know that for the best part of a year, Karyn and I have been doing a lot of work behind the scenes.

Studying. Learning. Practising. Reading. Facilitating. Reflecting. Challenging ourselves.

We've now graduated from a 400-hour Breathwork Facilitator Training with Alchemy of Breath, founded by breathwork pioneer Anthony Abbagnano. Between us, with the additional reading and practice, we are easily nudging 1000-hours between us. This is serious work.

Many of you knew we were doing the training, but we haven't really explained why we chose to invest so much time and energy into it. So here's our story…

We Felt There Was Another Layer

Breath has always been at the heart of Vitae Vi.

Through our Oxygen Advantage training, we've built a deep understanding of functional breathing: helping people breathe more efficiently to support stress, sleep, focus, recovery and performance.

Through the Wim Hof Method, we've explored the health and wellbeing benefits of breathwork, along with activation, resilience, mindset and the power of stepping outside our comfort zone.

But over time, we realised there was another piece of the puzzle: a space between breathing for performance and health, and deeper transformational breathwork.

We wanted to understand that space properly. Not through a weekend workshop, and not by learning just another technique, but through a genuinely deep and comprehensive training that would challenge us as facilitators and as human beings.

That led us to the triple accredited Alchemy of Breath. The gold standard of breathwork.

What Is Conscious Connected Breathwork?

At the heart of the Alchemy of Breath approach is Conscious Connected Breathwork (CCB).

It's an active breathing practice where the inhale and exhale flow continuously, without a deliberate pause between them. Simple to learn, and potentially profound in its effects.

Rather than simply trying to relax, CCB can create a different state of awareness. It brings our attention away from constant thinking and towards the body, our sensations and our emotional experience.

That's where it complements our existing work so well:

• Functional breathing teaches us how to breathe better.

• Breathwork gives us a conscious way to work with the breath, our state and our experience.

Going Beyond the Techniques

Perhaps the biggest thing this training has given us is a deeper understanding of what breathwork can open up.

Breathwork isn't simply about changing the way we breathe. It's about creating an opportunity to become more aware of ourselves: our body, our emotions, our thoughts, our energy and the patterns that shape how we experience life. The breath can become a bridge between the physical and the emotional, between the conscious mind and what sits beneath it.

When we create the right space, something powerful can happen. We can slow down enough to listen. Let go of what no longer serves us. Create space for new perspectives. And perhaps reconnect with parts of ourselves that have become lost in the noise and demands of everyday life.

This is what really resonated with us about Alchemy of Breath. Its intention isn't simply to teach breathing techniques. It's about using the conscious breath to support self-discovery, healing, connection and empowered living, bringing together science, energy, touch, awareness and embodiment.

Ultimately, it's about helping people reconnect with their own inner resources and their own ability to heal. This is deep work, and it's something we feel passionately about at Vitae Vi.

We don't believe anyone needs to be fixed.

We believe there is already so much within each of us. Sometimes we simply need the space, the safety and the right guidance to reconnect with it.

400 Hours Isn't a Weekend Course

Our Alchemy of Breath training involved 400 hours of study and practice. It covered:

• Conscious connected breathwork

• Facilitation

• Embodiment

• Neuroscience

• Creating safety

• Ethics

• Personal development

Alongside the reading, assessments, practice, reports and plans, the programme is triple accredited through the Federation of Holistic Therapists, the Global Professional Breathwork Alliance and the American Association of Drugless Practitioners.

That depth really mattered to us. We believe it represents an exceptionally high standard of breathwork facilitator training, and we deliberately chose a programme that would stretch us rather than simply add another certificate to the wall.

Honestly, calling it a "training course" feels like an understatement. It was challenging. Sometimes uncomfortable. Deeply personal. And genuinely life-changing.

We weren't just learning how to facilitate breathwork. We were learning how to become better facilitators.

Why Does This Matter to You?

Because when you come to one of our CCB sessions, you're not simply being taught a breathing pattern. You're being invited into an experience, and there is real education, experience and responsibility behind the way we hold that space.

Breathwork isn't always about relaxation. Sometimes it's calming. Sometimes energising. Sometimes emotional, sometimes challenging, sometimes deeply peaceful.

There is no single "right" experience. Our role isn't to tell you what you should feel. It's to create the conditions for you to explore your own experience safely, compassionately and without judgement.

Filling the Gap in Our Work: Conscious Connected Breathwork in Sussex & Hampshire

Looking back, our journey makes even more sense now.

• Oxygen Advantage gave us a deep understanding of functional breathing.

• The Wim Hof Method and our other training taught us about health and wellbeing, activation, resilience and stepping into challenge.

• Alchemy of Breath added another dimension: conscious, connected and embodied breathwork.

For us, that filled an important gap. Different tools suit different people, different moments and different outcomes.

Sometimes you need to learn how to breathe more efficiently. Sometimes you need to activate. Sometimes you need to recover. And sometimes you simply need a safe space to stop doing, let go and feel.

Why the Standard of Facilitation Matters

Breathwork is growing rapidly, which is exciting. But we also believe the quality of the person holding the space matters. We've witnessed, and been held by, people who really don't know what they're doing.

That's irresponsible.

A facilitator isn't simply someone who knows a breathing pattern and puts on some music. It's about understanding people. It's about safety, communication, boundaries and ethics. It's recognising that your job isn't to create a dramatic experience that looks exciting on Instagram, it's to support the person in front of you.

That's why we invested the time. We wanted to go as deep as we could, and we believe that makes us better practitioners and makes the experiences we offer you better.

A Space for Everyone

We want Vitae Vi to be a place where everyone feels welcome. You don't need experience, and you don't need to have been to other sessions with us. Come as you are.

Ethnicity, orientation, size, shape, state and gender are all welcome.

Breathwork and wellbeing spaces can sometimes feel as though they're designed primarily for women. We want men to know that they're welcome too. Many men have had little encouragement to explore vulnerability, connect with their bodies or simply stop and ask:

"How am I actually doing?"

You don't need to be experienced. You don't need to be "spiritual." You don't need to know how to meditate. You simply need to be curious.

The Next Chapter of Vitae Vi

This training doesn't replace what we've been doing. It deepens it.

It gives us another way to work with people, and another way to help you explore the relationship between breath, body and mind. Our aim has never been to hand you another wellbeing "thing" to add to an already busy life. It's to give you practical tools and experiences you can actually use, so you feel safe enough to slow down, strong enough to keep going, and supported enough to stay on the journey.

Perhaps this is the simplest way to describe where Vitae Vi is heading:

Functional breathing for how you live. Breathwork for how you feel. Conscious connection for who you can become.

We're incredibly excited to share this next chapter with you, and, as always, we'd much rather you experience it than simply read about it.

Come and join us for a Conscious Connected Breathwork session in Hampshire or West Sussex.

Simple click here - hello@vitaevi.co.uk - to be added to the waitlist for our new programme coming in early 2027...

Watch this space.

Breathe well. Live well.